AUBURN — St. Dominic Academy participated in the second annual Poetry Out Loud competition on Jan. 4.

Seniors Cody Leavitt and Frank Montana, juniors Melissa Ulin and Sarah Divello, sophomore Brendan Mahn and freshmen Liza Gaylord and Allina Dyer recited poems in front of a panel of judges  and the student body .

After two rounds, Divello was named runner-up and Ulin took first place for the second year in a row. Ulin recited “Memory as a Hearing Aid” by Tony Hoafland and “Time Does Not Bring Relief: You All Have Lied” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. She will advance on to the State Regional Poetry Out Loud competition, which will be held on Thursday, Feb. 3,  at the City Theater, Biddeford.

“We are very proud of all of our St. Dom’s students who competed in the 2011 Poetry Out Loud competition. Our winner, Melissa Ulin, is a very talented student who is able to bring raw emotional to her voice when reciting poetry. It is a delight to listen to her,” said Emily Swartz, St. Dom’s teacher and Poetry Out Loud organizer.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with State Arts Agencies of the United States to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation’s youth to learn about poetry through memorization and performance. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

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